MS paint custom royalgirl elephante for my brother! rate it?

[Gazella Dama]

Someone really ought to post a "how to give a good critique" guide, good lord. You don't need to sugarcoat things, and you don't have to be a horrible dick, either. I mean, I'm used to my stuff being gutted inside out by professors and people who legitimately really know their way around a canvas/photoshop, but there's really no need to be that way on a Neopets site with what is still obviously beginner art.

That said, checkers, I think it's pretty good. I think it might have behooved you to try a different pose, but I like that it's not an exact trace of the existing lineart. I like the details that you incorporated. In the future, I'd go with what others have suggested and try to step up your lineart to make it a little less shaky, the curve tool does indeed help once you get the hang of it. Also, your shading is a little tricky to see. As someone suggested, pushing your darks and lights will really help the piece "pop".

Still a hell of a lot better than what I did with MS Paint when I was twelve. *shrug*

[Saphira]

Still a hell of a lot better than what I did with MS Paint when I was twelve. *shrug*

Better than what I could do with paint NOW. I hate Paint.

Now, addressing the line art, one way to help make your lineart better would be to use a higher quality art program, like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, or Open Canvas (among many others). Even if you can't afford them(they do get really expensive when you get to the best ones like Photoshop), you can get a free trial easily off their sites.

As for improving your shading, look at other people's are, and at things in really life to see where shadows fall, to help you see how to properly shade things. Then all you have to do it practice. The keys to becoming a better artist is practice, and observation.

[checkers]

Thanks, but I only have MS Paint and I wish to stick to it and get better ^-^

[Cheese]

Consult this handy dandy sticky thread for info on art programs.

[checkers]

Consult this handy dandy sticky thread for info on art programs.

Thankyou, but truly I am thanking you but I think I'll work with MS Paint for ages i love how simple it is and I want to make complex art from it one day.

[Ahera]

It looks a little 2d, and I can't see the shading very well.

Being 12 as nothing to do with your art quality. I came second in the beauty contest with a pet i drew when i was that age. (I'm 13 now)

[checkers]

I've came first in the BC three times with artwork of being 12.
I've came second in the BC 2 times with artwork of being 12.
I've came third in the BC 6 times with artwork of being 12.

And now that my birthday was on March 9th, I wonder if I've gotten better.

[AngharadTy]

Winning in the BC is a wonderful achievement, and that you've won so often speaks to great dedication. But most of us would agree that the BC is never a measure of artistic talent but rather an indication of popularity and how much effort you put into promoting your pets.

Keep making art, of course--the only way you'll get better is through practice--but don't rely on the BC as a judgment for how good you are, that's all I mean. ^_~

[checkers]

I looked through other topics and suggestions, and I saw this 'Use the almost like an "s" tool to help draw better' and well I think it has, the head so far looks much better in my opinion.

What do you thinks better? the head of this one or the whole thing of the other one.

EDIT: First artwork of a Neopet @ the age of 12 YAY!

[thelonetiel]

It does look better, but there is one thing that bugs me about it, and about all of your pixel art that I've seen.

Your line art is sloppy. It is difficult to draw clean lines, I know. It takes time to go back and clean up all the stray "corners" that develop.

For instance, compare the top two lines.


The second line is the first line copied, then with any overlapping pixels that are redundant removed. The large example is a specific sample in case I'm not explaining it clear enough. ^^

Of course, the curve tool (the backwards "S") will give you the nicest neatest curves, as they follow a nice math formula instead of being freehand.


If you still don't get what I'm saying, I can go back and clean up a portion of your lines so you can compare with the rest of your art.

[Xulael]

Belated input from me~ I pixel a lot in MSPaint, so my thoughts:

I avoid the S tool because just like doing it free hand, it can end up with jagged lines (as you've already seen). I just do my lines manually (pixel-by-pixel, zoomed way in) because
a) the extra effort is relaxing to me
b) it turns out the lines exactly how I want them

I think one of my many art teachers once said it best: An art piece is never finished, it can always be improved on.

You can go back and clean up those lines. It may take a lot of effort, but if you're trying to cop out a lot in the first place, you won't get very pretty results no matter what you do.

Etc, etc. As long as you don't give up, you'll gradually improve.

~X